Saturday, January 5, 2013

10 Guilty Pleasures

I think rewards and bribes are very efficient tools to motivate behavior. So, if you train hard or study a lot or complete some big project at work or mop the floor, then hell yes you should have some pay off. Despite the title of this post, you should not feel guilty about it. As Nigella Lawson says, “Never feel guilty about a pleasure.” Well okay then.

My guilty pleasures? That’s easy. They are not complex or expensive, but they bring great joy and satisfaction.

1. Climbing under my heated throw blanket. If you don’t have one of these you are missing out on one of the great inventions of the world. From October until April I am freezing and can usually be found with my down coat on while I’m cooking dinner. Climbing under a heated blanket is nirvana.

2. Clif Shot Bloks. Yeah I know this doesn’t  seem luck much of an indulgence, but these things are not cheap and I happen to love the taste/texture of them (especially the margarita lime ones). It’s always a good run when I have these babies along.

3. Wine. I don’t have to explain this one. I could probably drink less and it would be better for me. But I do love my wine (preferably an oaky chardonnay).

4. Reading a magazine or book in the bathtub (preferably with #3). This activity combines many favorite things: being warm, reading and being left alone.

bethinbath

5. Having my feet rubbed. No one around here likes to do it for me and I am not above bribing an innocent child or senior citizen to rub my feet for money. If I could afford to, I would get pedicures every other day just for the foot rub part. Throw in some peppermint foot lotion and the angels might be singing.

6. Farting and not saying anything. Sometimes I like to see how long it takes for a friend or family member to notice. If I’m in public, I just blame it on babies.

7. Buying entire seasons of a show on DVD. I don't do this often because it’s really impractical and expensive. But, for Christmas I asked for the first season of Homeland and the first two seasons of the Good Wife. The only other time I did this was with Friday Night Lights. I love being able to watch all episodes in a row and not have to wait days and days between.

8. A new piece of running clothing. I’ve gotten lots off free stuff over the past couple of years, so it’s hard for me to justify buying even more stuff. But ever once in awhile I’ll indulge. This week I found this Brook’s running shirt on sale at Running Warehouse. I also found an online coupon code and got free shipping. So, after all was said and done, this baby only cost me $37 (down from an original cost of $65 – coupon code to put in at a checkout is BF15D in case you’re interested).

 

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9. Watching infomercials. I’m not kidding. I never buy anything, but I get so sucked in by the promise of what these crappy things can do. My favorite is the Shake Weight, which I actually got for Christmas last year. SNL did a hilarious parody on this one. See it HERE.

10. Picking a scab.  I don’t get many of these anymore (at least not since my last meth rampage), but during the summer when it’s mosquito season, picking the scabs is pretty fun. But not great for healing or avoiding scars.

I would make 50 Shades of Grey #11, but I think I was the only woman in the universe who didn’t like the book. I can’t wait to see how many pregnancies are attributed to that one!

Oh, and I almost forgot about the Biggest Loser!! Premieres Sunday 1/6 (why Sunday??) and Jillian is back. Also, there will be kids (2-13 year olds and 1-16 year old). I’m not a fan of blending the kid thing with the regular show. I think they should have made it two different shows.

How about you? What’s a guilty pleasure on your list?

Have you seen Homeland yet? We’re only on episode 5, but it’s good.

What’s the last piece of running clothing that you bought for yourself?

Will you be watching the Biggest Loser?

SUAR

55 comments:

  1. OH MY GOD...every one except the wine are mine too!!!!

    My latest running clothes were nice fleece-y tights from the gap

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  2. I love Homeland! We started watching the second season (somehow missed the first), but then one of the satellite channels we get had a marathon of the whole first season and it was like a gift from God. Can't wait for season 3!!
    All of your indulgences sound good to me. I recently subscribed to Glossybox so get a bunch of random/special cosmetics sent to me monthly. And then I subscribed to Julep and have random nail polishes sent to me. It's like getting special surprise gifts in the mail every month so those are my indulgences for now :)
    PS. Regarding the last post, I think if I tried to nose breathe only while running I'd collapse on the trail. Not good!

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  3. Wine and bubble bath only count as one.. My guilty pleasure after a run is a Reese's Peanut butter cup or a funsize Butterfinger. The last running related item I bought was socks....i know, I'm boring

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  4. Love Homeland!!!! We just finished with the 2nd disc on netflix. I also LOVED Friday Night LIghts. Started Nashville because I think Connie Britton is just that great!
    Hmmm guilty pleasures...I have many and I have no problem indulging in them, in fact, I do so several times a day. I love my afternoon latte (have my own machine) and I love my almost nightly popcorn. Love my nightly TV whether it be catching up on a series or watching a movie.
    I bought a couple running tops this late summer. Oh and some gloves early fall.

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  5. I LOVE Homeland! Loved Friday Night Lights too. We're currently trying to find something to fill the mid-winter TV void (TV is a guilty pleasure) and reserved the 1st seasons of Breaking Bad and The Walking Dead from the library.

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  6. Ice cream after a run (really anytime), time without my 4 kids, new running gear.laying in bed doing nothing after a run and a shower-i can't sleep, but I just want to not be upright!

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  7. I love shot blocks too. I pack them for work if I need a boost. I will def be watching BL tomorrow!!!

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  8. I love a lot of these things and being warm is #1, being asleep is #2. As for kids being overweight...I blame the parents. My husband eats terrible and so do the kids because of him...I love him to death! But they are all naturally thin. If they had my body type I'd raise hell with him first. We can teach our children how to eat healthy from birth and keep them active without them realizing it.

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  9. A beer just opened and waiting for me when I get off work. Oh. God. Yes.

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  10. Congratulating myself after a super long run with a greasy burger + fries, malbec, Baileys in my coffee on weekend mornings, Lululemon's ridiculously prices running garments, the new 90210 (super guilty pleasure)

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  11. I Loved Friday Night Lights watched the whole series on Amazon Prime and have felted a emptiness now that I'm done with them:( Lol I also am a big fan of the biggest Loser and one of the main things that helped me get started on losing almost 70 lbs!! I hope its not to much with the kids but Love how they are helping kids change their lives too!! I recently bought yak tracks to run outside with and even though I love them I ran 6 miles today and they gave me a huge blister:( My Dad bought me a heated throw for Xmas and it was the best present I have EVER gotten!!

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  12. Great list. Love most of those things myself. I won a shirt just like that this month, through a points series race up here in Ontario. I wore it today and love it.

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  13. Bath with eucalyptus salts and candles... uh..(masculine candles). Along with some Celestial Seasonings Bengal Spice tea. ooh yeh. life is good.

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    1. Hahahah! Thank God those candles are masculine!

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  14. All of them, except the scabs. Sometimes I bribe myself to run a little further with the chardonnay, hot bath with my favorite salts and a good book. :)

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  15. Love Shot Bloks but agree they're expensive...in running stores...but best kept secret on Amazon is that they sell them in boxes of 18 packs for $28 or so...limited flavor selection, but for $1.59/pack, you can't beat the price...and they stock the margarita flavor, Beth :-)

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  16. My indulgence is cute running clothes, I have no idea why I want to be wearing something expensive and cute while I'm sweating and god know what else, but it just makes me feel good! Kind of ironic, I bought the cutest running skirt from Prana last summer, I loved it, but whenever I wore it I had a bad run. But at least I looked good, right?

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  17. OMG I hated Fifty Shades Of Grey also! So stupid and a waste of my time. I love that Brooks top.

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  18. Fabulous list!

    I hated 50 Shades of Grey too. "oh My" ... so dumb. Would have been better if they'd farted to cut the tension. LOL

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  19. I love the Shot Blox! My local store had a ridiculous sale on them and I have a cabinet full of them. Yum!
    I will be watching Biggest Loser. Not too sure how I feel about the kid thing, either, but I am thrilled Jillian is back.

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  20. wine... always! never give that up. haha. Cheers!

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  21. I love Biggest Loser, glad Jillian is back. One of my indulgences is good socks, I only wear Smartwool, and now procompression :) I got 2 new pairs of procompression socks for Christmas, both I ordered and told my husband to put them in my stocking.

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    1. I 2nd the Smartwool! Seriously I must have been living under a rock - I gave them to everyone for Xmas & got some questioning looks, until they put them on.

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  22. I am with you on many of these. I have a heated mattress pad and am often found wearing my coat indoors. We don't own a bathtub, sadly, but thank god my hubby likes to rub my feet! And I loooove shot blocks. Not for runs, though, just for a treat :)

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  23. I thought I was the only one with the infomericals. I felt so alone. But not anymore.
    Wine, reality tv, playing Bejeweled on my phone.

    The Kidless Kronicles

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  24. My electric blanket is most definitely my most prized possession. So nice after a cold run!

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  25. I haven't read 50 Shades. I like real sex not book sex. Can I put that down as my not-so-guilty pleasure?

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  26. I also hated 50 Shades.......not really into controlling assholes!

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  27. I'm with you on the wine...I prefer a long hot shower to a soak in the tub ( I usually only last 2 minutes & then I'm done!)....Love pedicures and massages...wish I had a therapist on staff at my house....I gave up cable years ago (more time to read and snuggle under the covers with hubby - seriously great decision!)....And I refuse to read 50 shades...
    Best piece of running gear....super comfy Underarmour running tights (actually shorts, but their close fitting and so silky ! )

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  28. I hated 50 Shades as well! UGH! I only finished it because my best friend bought the book for me and I felt obligated to do so.

    Love your guilty pleasures - I think wine is #1 on my list followed by a giant bowl of ice cream.

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  29. I share many of your guilty pleasures. Wine is for sure my number one!! Glad to know I'm not the only nutburger that walks around my house doing things with my winter jacket on. Drives my husband nuts!
    I just ordered Moving Comfort no chill winter running pants, a Nike wool hoody, and Saucony vizipro pink shirt from Running Warehouse. Can't wait for them to arrive!! I'm 6'0" and the pants "should" be long enough.
    As for 50 Shades....read the first 2 and half of the third crazy quick but never finished it and don't see it happening any time soon. Pretty repetitive.

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  30. #3 & #4 top my list!!! I always say I could probably drop a few pounds if I cut out my cocktails but WHY?!?! There has to be some reward to all of the hard work!!!
    I'm totally looking forward to the new Biggest Loser season - one of my favorites. Not sure how I feel about the kid thing yet.

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  31. It's so hard to me to justify indulging when I'm training because I'm not a strong enough runner to really enjoy wine the night before a 4:30am run. But mmm wiiiiiiiine. And, I'll cop to it, scab picking. Man, do I love me a good scab.

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  32. One of my pleasures is reading your blog about life and running. I enjoy a glass now and then and indulge in some decadent food after a good run. Time with friends and family is another. Blog on!

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  33. One of my pleasures is reading your blog about life and running. I enjoy a glass now and then and indulge in some decadent food after a good run. Time with friends and family is another. Blog on!

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  34. My guilty pleasure is going to be very early on Sunday night with a copy of the NY times crossword puzzle to do in PEN!
    I haven't seen any of Homeland, but I've heard so much about how good it is.
    I just ordered two sale items from Lucy. I've been wanting to try compression tights for a long time, so I bought a pair.
    Of course, I'll be watching BL, plus Downton Abbey is on at the same time.
    And, I haven't read 50 Shades. Am I the only one who hasn't?

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    1. Haha!! You are wild and crazy doing that crossword in PEN!! I really want to see Downton Abbey too. Heard great things.

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    2. I have not read it, give me The Outlander anyday if I want to read stuff like that. Love Downtown Abbey, can't wait for tonight. I order TV series on DVD if they are a good price, watching Homeland right now.

      My guilty pleasure, polar fleece PJ's and wine in front to the fire after a long run, snuggled under a blanket watching TV.

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    3. My cousin called it right...50 Shades of Shit. Add two more people to the non-read category.
      SS

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  35. I will totally be watching Biggest Loser, but I'm usually a couple episodes behind so watch the spoilers!!

    My guilty pleasure...reality television. But I only allow myself to watch it if I'm running on my treadmill.

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  36. I just bought rain/ wind jacket for Road runner for a good price.
    I'll be watching Biggest Loser. I also just recently got into Downton Abbey

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  37. Homeland is a great show. A friend let me borrow the first season, I watches it in a week. Not very productive week for me;). Now I am watching the second season. Love it!

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  38. I think it will be interesting with kids this season, people think that its easier for kids to loose weight because of all the free time they have on them and everything but things are changing so much it will be intersting to see how these kids got to be so big.

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  39. 1. I just read that book last month. 2. You are not the only woman who hated 50 Shades of Grey. The scenes did nothing for me at all! mostly skipped over them to read the actual plot, which admittedly was not great (but I didn't want to offend the friend who had lent the books and insisted I read them).

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  40. Your list is a lot like mine, except I work in a nursing home so when I fart I can blame the residents!!!! It's awesome!!!

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  41. Your list is a lot like mine, except I work in a nursing home so when I fart I can blame the residents!!!! It's awesome!!!

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  42. I've always said if I ever hit lotto, I'd hired my very own, full time foot masseuse. I hate baths, love running shirts with "thumb holes", and my latest piece of running clothing was from Santa..an underarmour turtleneck. (they make them so soft & comfy now) Oh and I read all 3 "50 Shades" books, and I liked them.

    Cold beer after running = my guilty pleasure :)

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  43. Yes to the foot rubs!
    I watched Loser last night and LOVED it. I cried when it started, I wanted to slap the quitting blonde. I cried when it ended with TC going home.
    Sandra

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  44. Totally agree that this season of Biggest Loser should have been 2 shows-one focusing on the kids and the other on the adults. Last night was ok but I'll reserve serious judgment til next week. I also share your love of wine and running clothes. I get a great discount at the store that sponsors my running group so I get new stuff way too often. 50 Shades? Not interested in the least.

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  45. Homeland is so great. It is intense and so hard to just watch one or two episodes at a time! We also watch the Biggest Loser. What did you think if the premiere last night?

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  46. Love Biggest Loser, recorded last night and will watch it tonight. I have not read 50 shades of Grey, not for lack of trying though. I just can't get in to it. I stupidly bought the first 2 books of the series and realize I have wasted my money. I may try again later, after I finish the 2 books I am currently reading, Elizabeth, The Queen ~interesting book~ and Tribulation Force ~from the Left Behind series.

    I love a peanut butter and jelly sandwich (ok, make that 2 sandwiches) after a run, long or short, and a big glass of Nesquick chocolate milk, sometimes with whole milk.

    Love having 2 dogs, I blame my farts on them now that my kids are too old to blame, even though I still try.

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  47. I've seen that picture before but for some reason it hit me that there is a razor blade there. Thank goodness one of your guilty pleasures isn't to let your leg and armpit hair grow so long in the winter you can use it as a heated throw blanket.

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  48. Homeland while snuggled up in a heated blanket with a glass of wine...and a silent fart on the person snuggling with you...and boom goes the dynamite.

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  49. Wine is definitely on my "guilty pleasures" list -- though I'm with you and Ms. Lawson. Life's little pleasures shouldn't induce guilt!

    Also on my list: Hot, dark-roast coffee; pedicures; curling up with a good book; Say Yes to the Dress

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  50. Nice! I also hated 50 Shades of Gray... blargh, pointless. Swap whiskey for wine and I'm on board!!

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